Controlling working time in the ward and on the line
| Date | 13 July 2007 |
| Published date | 13 July 2007 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450710759190 |
| Pages | 352-366 |
| Author | Sarah Wise,Chris Smith,Raffaella Valsecchi,Frank Mueller,Jonathan Gabe |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Controlling working time in the
ward and on the line
Sarah Wise
Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Chris Smith
School of Management, Royal Holloway University of London, London UK
Raffaella Valsecchi
Greenwich Business School, Greenwich, UK
Frank Mueller
School of Management, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK, and
Jonathan Gabe
Department of Health and Social Care, Royal Holloway University of London,
London UK
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this article is to assess whether tele-nursing in Scotland (NHS24), when
compared with traditional face-to-face nursing, facilitates greater employee control over working time
and therefore a potentially better work-life balance.
Design/methodology/approach – The article draws on evidence from two independent research
projects; a survey of 64 ward nurses and midwives, which involved face-to-face interviews; and a field
study of tele-nursing in a large site in Scotland, using interviews and observations of 15 nurse advisors
or tele-nurses.
Findings – Three elements of work organisation are central in shaping nurses’ working hours and
their control over the balance between their work and their home life: the management of working
hours; the degree of mutual dependency of nurses within teams; and the nature of patient care.
Research limitations/implications – The two pieces of research reported offer a strong basis for
comparative study. However, the two projects were designed independently, though research
questions overlapped and one researcher conducted the field work in both settings; there is an
imbalance in the number of interviews conducted in each setting; and the nurse advisor interviewees
are of the same clinical grade, whereas a variety of grades and clinical areas are represented among the
hospital nurse interviewees.
Originality/value – This is the first study of work-life balance amongst tele-nurses. The research
demonstrates that call centre work has rationalised, depersonalised and yet enabled more “control” by
nurses over their work-life balance, while paradoxically offering less autonomy in their task
environment. In conventional work settings professional values make it difficult for nurses to
disengage from the workplace.
Keywords Nursing, Call centres,Hours of work, Team working, Scotland, NationalHealth Service
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The work-life balance agenda has grown out of the family-friendly policies introduced
to assist the increasing number of workers combining paid employment with care
responsibilities. Government and advocacy literature has attempted to broaden the
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29,4
352
Employee Relations
Vol. 29 No. 4, 2007
pp. 352-366
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/01425450710759190
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